Fatigue (& Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)

Fatigue (& Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long term (chronic) neurological condition that affects the nervous and immune systems.

FOODS TO EAT MORE OF

Fruits: Apples, avocado, bananas, berries, clementines, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, mangoes, oranges, pineapple, pomegranates, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes
Vegetables: Arugula, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collard greens, green beans, green/red bell peppers, kale, mushrooms (especially reishi, maitake & shiitake), onions, romaine lettuce, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, watercress, leafy greens, root vegetables
Garlic, ginger, cinnamon
Brown rice, whole grains, dates, almonds, dulse, kelp, seeds (especially flax, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower)
Fish, beans, eggs, oats, olive oil, tofu, yogurt, turmeric, ginger
Trinity Root (garlic, ginger, onion)
Chlorella

FOODS TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE

Red meat & dairy products (except yogurt)
Process/refined foods, fried foods, artificial additives
Caffeine, sugar, alcohol, yeast

ESSENTIAL OILS

Rosemary, clove and/or thyme: add a few drops to bath water, or diffuse.
Low Energy: Lemon, basil, fir, peppermint (shoulders, solar plexus, bottom of feet, diffuse).
Exhaustion: Lavender, frankincense, lemongrass, clary sage, basil, ginger, grapefruit, lemon, rosemary, sandalwood (bottom of feet, heart, diffuse).
Metabolic Imbalance: Oregano (lower back, thyroid, feet, kidneys, liver, glands).

HERBAL

Alfalfa, amachazuru (Jiaogulan), ashwagandha, astragalus, black walnut (in small doses), borage, burdock root, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, dandelion leaf & root, echinacea, elacampane, evening primrose oil, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, ginseng, guarana (avoid if you have high blood pressure or heart disease), lemon balm, licorice, milk thistle, parsley, passionflower, peppermint, red clover, red raspberry leaf, rose hips, rosemary, sage, Schisandra, shatavari, St. John's wort, stinging nettle, thyme, turmeric, Valerian, yellow dock
Korean ginseng for men; Siberian ginseng for women; Astragalus for children (or some use both ginseng and astragalus together as a general energy tonic).

NATURAL

Mild aerobic exercise daily
Stress reduction through yoga, meditation, tai chi
Flaxseed Oil: 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) daily (can be mixed with food or smoothies, take in the morning).
Thyme tea, added to bath water.
Guayusa Tea
1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses or honey in a cup of hot water (take daily until energy returns).
Chaga, Matcha, and/or Yerba Mate tea
Juice any (or all) of the following and drink daily: concord grape, cabbage, beets

YOGA / MEDITATION THERAPY

Movement Medicine - Energy Practice (17 minutes - Yoga With Adriene)
Yoga for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (27 minutes - Chakrapod)
Forward bends are especially helpful

SUPPLEMENTS

Alpha-lipoic acid: 100 mg daily
Amino Acid Complex: 1 pill twice daily (take on empty stomach)
Astragalus: 200 mg extract twice daily (rotate in 3 week cycles with echinacea and pau d'arco)
Carotenoids: 2 pills mixed carotenoids a day with food (should supply 25,000 IU Vitamin A activity)
Coenzyme Q10: 50-100 mg twice daily (take with food)
DHEA: 25-100 mg daily
Echinacea: 200 mg twice daily (should contain at least 3.5% echinacosides; limit consecutive use to 3 weeks or rotate with other herbs)
Ginkgo biloba: 120 mg in the morning
Licorice: 200 mg 3 times daily (should contain 22% glycyrrhizin or glycyrrhizinic acid; can raise blood pressure)
Magnesium & Malic Acid: 300-800mg magnesium citrate or gluconate plus 2400 mg of malic acid daily (take with food; reduce if it causes diarrhea). Can take 4+ weeks to notice results
Melatonin: 103 mg daily for up to 3 weeks (consult a physician if taking longer than 3 weeks)
N-acetylcysteine: 250 mg daily
Panax Ginseng: 100-250 mg twice daily (should contain at least 7% ginsenosides)
Pantothenic Acid: 500 mg twice daily (take with meals)
Pau d'arco: 250 mg twice daily (should contain 3% naphthoquinones)
Reishi: As Directed
Siberian Ginseng: 100-300 mg twice daily (should contain at least 0.8% eleutherosides)
Vitamin B Complex: 1 pill twice daily with food (look for B-50 complex with 50 mcg Vitamin B12 and biotin, 400 mcg folic acid, and 50 mg all other B vitamins)
Vitamin C: 2,000-3,000 mg 3 times daily (reduce if it causes diarrhea)
Vitamin D

MIND-BODY CONNECTION

Can represent an imbalance between rational and intuitive thought, your creativity and intuitive energy has been lost or ignored. You feel powerless. Try something new or out of character, take a break, try a new hobby.
Can also represent spiritual isolation - a sense of meaninglessness tied to spiritual emptiness. Try to start a meditation/prayer practice daily.
Can also represent acting outwardly in ways that are different from how you really feel internally. If you are feeling deep guilt or self-loathing, your body can turn on itself. Work on improving unconditional self-love.

FOOD MEDICINE
Not all recipes are nutritionally perfect, but the options below are a great way to start incorporating beneficial foods into your diet in delicious ways. Always try to buy organic, and feel free to make substitutions to accommodate gluten-free, vegan, etc diets.

Abbreviation Definitions:
LC = Low Calorie (under 400 for breakfast, 600 for lunch/dinner, and 200 for beverages/sides/snacks)
GF = Gluten Free
KT = Keto / Low Carb
VG = Vegan
VT = Vegetarian

BEVERAGES

Apple-Orange Smoothie (GF VG VT)

Basic Fruit Smoothie (LC GF VG VT)

Green Smoothie (LC GF VT)

Mango Lassi (GF VT)

Mega-Greens Smoothie (GF VT)

Peach-Grape Smoothie (GF VT)

Soothing Elixir (LC GF VG VT)

Super Skin Smoothie (GF VT)

Banana-Blueberry Smoothie (GF VT)

Blueberry Pineapple Smoothie (GF VT)

Herbal Mango Smoothie (LC GF VG VT)

Mango Pineapple Smoothie (LC GF VG VT)

Orange Smoothie (GF VT)

Pineapple Kale Smoothie (GF VG VT)

Strawberry Banana Smoothie (GF VT)

Tropical Smoothie (LC GF VG VT)

BananaSauce Smoothie (GF VG VT)

Golden Milk (LC GF VG VT)

Kiwi-Pineapple Smoothie (GF VT)

Mango-Banana Smoothie (GF VT)

PB & Jelly Sandwich Smoothie (GF VG VT)

Pomegranate Dandelion Tea (LC GF VG VT)

Sunrise Smoothie (LC GF VG VT)

Yogi Tea (LC GF VG VT)

MAINS

3 Bean Soup (LC GF VG VT)

Balsamic Glazed Chicken (LC GF KT)

Black Bean Soup (LC GF VG VT)

Cornmeal & Pecan Crusted Fish (LC)

Instant Pot Chickpea Curry (LC GF VG VT)

Miso Soup (LC GF VG VT)

Pan-Fried Fish Fillets (LC)

Quinoa Oatmeal (LC GF VG VT)

Salmon with Red Pepper Sauce (LC GF)

Shrimp Power Bowl (GF)

Spicy Black Bean Soup (LC GF VG VT)

Turkey Mushroom Saute (LC GF KT)

Vegan Jambalaya (LC GF VG VT)

Vegetable Curry (LC GF KT VG VT)

Adult Ramen (LC GF VG VT)

Black Bean Bowl (LC GF)

Buddha Bowl (GF VG VT)

Edamame Rice Bowl (LC GF VG VT)

Japanese Onion Soup (LC GF VG VT)

Mujaddara (LC GF VG VT)

Pasta Della California (LC GF VG VT)

Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna (LC VG VT)

Sesame Salmon (LC GF KT)

Soy Chicken (LC GF KT)

Spinach & Bean Pasta (LC VG VT)

Vegan Black Bean Bowl (LC GF VG VT)

Vegan Mac & Cheese (LC VG VT)

Vegetarian Chili (LC GF VG VT)

Asian Broccoli & Rice Bowl (LC GF VG VT)

Black Bean Chili (LC VG VT)

Chicken Bone Broth (LC GF)

Garlic Soup (LC GF VG VT)

MahiMahi with Cucumber-Dill Sauce (LC GF)

Mung Beans and Rice (LC GF VG VT)

Pasta Fagioli (LC VG VT)

Salmon with Avocado Salsa (LC GF)

Shells with Healthy Sauce (LC)

Spiced Lentil Soup (LC GF VG VT)

Tilapia with Balsamic Brown Butter (LC KT)

Vegan Bulk Spaghetti Sauce (LC GF VG VT)

Vegetable Broth (LC GF VG VT)

White Bean & Spinach Soup (LC GF)

SIDES

Asian Cabbage Salad (LC GF VG VT)

Butternut Squash Risotto (GF VG VT)

Chickpea Pasta Salad (LC VG VT)

Dill Vinaigrette Greens (LC GF VG VT KT)

Fried Cabbage (LC GF VG VT KT)

Homemade Salsa (LC GF VG VT)

Mediterranean Salad (LC GF KT VG VT)

Molasses Beans (LC GF)

Pesto Vegetables (LC GF VG VT KT)

Roasted Broccoli (LC GF VG VT)

Roasted Carrots (LC GF VG VT)

Roasted Onions (LC GF VG VT)

Sauteed Spinach (LC GF KT VG VT)

Steamed Edamame (LC GF VG VT)

Zattar Quinoa Salad (LC GF VG VT)

Beans & Greens Salad (LC GF VG VT)

Cannellini & Arugula Salad (LC GF VG VT)

Chinese Peanut Salad (LC GF VG VT)

Double Mashed Potatoes (LC GF VG VT)

Glazed Carrots (LC GF VG VT)

Kale Salad with Sesame Dressing (LC GF VG VT)

Mexican Chopped Salad (LC GF VG VT)

Mushrooms & Beans (LC GF VG VT)

Quinoa Salad (LC GF VG VT)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (LC GF VG VT)

Roasted Chipotle Sweet Potatoes (LC GF VG VT)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes (LC GF VG VT)

Sesame Green Beans (LC GF KT VG VT)

Three Bean Salad (LC GF VG VT)

Brown Rice Pilaf with Saffron and Ginger (LC GF VG VT)

Caraway Brussels Sprouts (LC GF VG VT KT)

Creamy Kale (LC GF KT VG VT)

Farro (VG VT)

Greens, Grains & Beans Salad (LC VG VT)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes (LC GF VG VT)

Miso Slaw (LC GF VG VT)

Mushroom Risotto (GF VG VT)

Red Beans & Rice (LC GF VG VT)

Roasted Butternut Squash (LC GF VG VT)

Roasted Green Beans (LC GF VG VT)

Roasted Zucchini (LC GF VG VT KT)

Spinach & Strawberry Salad (LC GF VG VT)

Warm Red Cabbage Salad (LC GF VG VT)